Quinoa Pilaf

You may have noticed that I post quite a few quinoa recipes.  This is why:

I bought a 95,000 pound bag of quinoa at Costco.  So, you can look forward to many, many more recipes featuring this fabulous ingredient.  (I can hear your cheers of enthusiasm!)

My friend, Niki, (who also purchased the 95,000 pound bag of quinoa at Costco) and I made a super simple quinoa pilaf recently to enjoy with Salmon en Cocotte.  It was both delicious and easy, making it a perfect versatile side dish. 

Today I'll share the basic recipe for quinoa pilaf, but look forward to variations on this theme in the weeks ahead.  (You can thank Costco for that.) 

Simple Quinoa Pilaf
Serves: 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup quinoa
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and saute until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in quinoa and allow it to toast for about 2 minutes.  Add broth and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Bring liquid to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until quinoa has absorbed the liquid and is tender, about 15 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.